Tricks for staying warmhearted on gloomy winter days

Anybody else desperately need a trip to Mexico? Palm Springs. Hawaii. Costa Rica. Anywhere with sun. I adore Oregon, but I need some warmth right now.

It takes extra effort to be warmhearted this time of year, to practice compassion and patience for yourself and others. We have stories of The Grinch and Mr. Scrooge around the holiday season, but we forget that coldheartedness continues to spread well past the new year.

During the winter, we deplete our energy resources like a bear depletes her fat reserves, yet unlike the bear, we don’t allow our bodies the chance to hibernate. We still try to go-go-go and then hate our bodies when they get sick.

We worry so much about being unproductive, not gaining winter weight, or being seen as lazy that we don’t give our bodies the rest and rejuvenation they naturally need this time of year.

This is not the time for checking off your to-do list or climbing tall mountains.

This is the time for reflection and contemplation, for warm cups of tea and a good book, for fluffy blankets and movie marathons, for cuddlefests and cooking stews.

Have the audacity to stop. Be brazen enough to rest. Be bold enough to declare your body worthy of relaxation.

I must admit, this has been hard for me lately. While my team and I have done our best over here to allow for downtime in winter, bills still need to be paid and tasks still need to be accomplished to do that.

After our holiday break, I felt like a kid dragging her feet on the first day back to school, begging her mom to let her sleep in just one more day. So, I slept in a bit more, but I still found myself feeling cold, coldhearted, angry, pouty, cabin fever, all kinds of gloomy emotions.

So, I turned to you all, my wonderful Bawdy Lovelies, and asked you this (via Instagram and Facebook):

How do you bring light to your life when it’s gloomy outside?

Your responses were inspiring. I’ve spent the past week implementing them into my life, carving out time to stoke the fire within me.

They’re so great, I’m sharing them all here with you.

Tricks for staying warmhearted on gloomy winter days:

“Sit by a fireplace? Baking? Eat an orange? Buy flowers? Granted I seriously suck at self care right now but all of those things sound pretty great to me.” – Jen

“I go to a greenhouse! We have a place here called the Enjoy Center. Even when it is extreme winter here it feels like spring there. Always something blooming!” – Leslie

“I sat in a hot tub this AM, but it is rare I have the opportunity to do that. We drink a lot of hot cocoa around here, though, and we love our gas fireplace where we can warm up at the flick of a switch.” – Zach

“1. Make home made tacos and margaritas. 2. Go run in the rain without an umbrella and truly enjoy the feeling. 3. Watch a movie set in Hawaii or at the beach and wear your bathing suit and sunglasses and drink a lemonade or Margarita while watching it.” – James

“Hot shower, a good lotion, blow dry hair and put on an outfit that I haven’t worn once in my closet. The second I put a full look together I feel like I can conquer anything.” – Kim

“I agree with Kim! This has been my trick for shitty days since I turned 20. Pulling yourself together on a rough day can feel impossible but you’d be surprise how much a great outfit, lipstick, jewelry, shoes, etc can make an emotional difference. it may sound frivolous but completing a task and seeing the visible reward really does help lighten the day; not to mention that everyone loves a great outfit!” – Belen

“I mostly revel in things that I couldn’t think of doing in the summer when it is so hot. I light candles morning and night. I get outside as much as possible, including heading over the mountains where it’s sunny even when it’s cold. I take lots of hot baths, with delicious bath salts, listening to podcasts and drinking tea or whisky (or tea with whisky). I eat stews and winter squash and light fires in my fire place. I also blow dry my vulva and under my tits after baths and showers, it feels so decadent and sensual. I also go hot tubbing and to a dry sauna. There is something incredibly satisfying (on a cellular level) about they dry, hot heat of a sauna. It’s my pretend desert trip!” – Heather

“I enjoy the sound of rain, so I open the sliding door in our apt. (The rain can’t get in, so we’re fortunate that we can open the sliding door to hear the rain.) I wrap up in my comfiest clothes and drink hot tea.” – Mary

“Happy light. I read in front of it for 30 min. Got it on Amazon.” – Sarah

“Indoor picnic by the fire!” – Katie

“1. Fresh flowers. Picked up every weekend at the Saturday Market. 2. When the sun does come out, I find it and sit in it. Even if just for a few minutes. 3. Exercise. 4. Baths/Hot Tubs 5. Mexican Food/Margaritas 6. Reggae Music (not even my favorite, but does the trick). I even listen to it at work sometimes to make me feel like I’m on vacation.” – Megan

“Get out to the snow! When I’m down about the wet winters I (1) Remind myself that the PacNW has the best summers in the country and (2) all of that water is making snow in the mountains.” – Amanda

“I try to go to the Korean women-only spa for a day of naked soaking in hot water. I usually bring along a book that inspires me and indulge in taking some me time. Also, I try to make some delicious new recipes and have small dinner parties. I don’t care if it’s gloomy and gross outside if inside my house is filled with warmth, laughter, and love. And a few glasses of wine never hurts.” – Crystal

“Neon red lipstick. Even if still indoors working in pj’s. Favourite tshirt/item of clothing. Take a shower and have a little spa moment in there with scrubs containing citrus-y oils. Basically create a zing moment when there isn’t one” – Cleopatra

“I try to use the gloomy time to create. I pull out the crafty stuff (crochet, candles, etc), put on some ‘sunny’ music and focus on the creativity. It’s also how I coped with the extreme cold in the Midwest.” – Meghan

How do you stay warmhearted when it’s gloomy and cold outside?

Howdy, I’m Lauren! A writer, adventurer, and educator.

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